[Levin’s Dream Land — Between Day and Night]

Darkness, Light, Night, and Day. The dreamland existed somewhere between them. a place Levin had visited before and a place that never truly belonged to the living...or the dead.

Levin lay upon the golden sands of Zahryssar. One half of the sky burned beneath an endless sun, and the other half rested beneath silver stars and moonlight. The border between them stretched endlessly across the horizon, beautiful, lonely, and silent.

Levin slowly opened his eyes, and everything felt heavy...far too heavy. As though invisible chains wrapped around his body, around his heart and around his soul.

"...Again?" His voice sounded distant and tired.

Slowly he pushed himself upright. Golden sand slipped through his fingers, and the familiar dreamland stretched endlessly before him.

Then quietly he frowned. "Why am I here again?"

Silence answered him, only warm desert winds moving through the endless dunes. Then suddenly—

GROWWWWLLLLL.

A deep rumble sounded beside him. Levin blinked, then slowly turned his head, and there rested a silver dragon. For a brief moment Levin smiled, a faint smile and a tired one.

"You’re here too, Lyresaph..." His hand automatically reached toward the creature’s head, gently patting the silver scales.

Then suddenly he paused because this wasn’t Lyresaph. The creature was larger, far larger and far stronger. Its silver scales gleamed beneath both sun and moonlight, massive wings folded neatly against its body, and its golden eyes watched him carefully.

Eyes that looked painfully familiar. The serpent’s eyes, just like Zeramet’s.

Levin blinked. "...You’re not Lyresaph."

The dragon simply stared and then lowered its enormous head slightly into his touch and then—

GROWWWWLLLLL.

A second rumble echoed beside him. Levin froze and slowly turned, and there stood another dragon.

Gold...a brilliant gold. Its scales shimmered like sunlight trapped beneath metal. Massive wings folded behind its body, blue eyes gazed toward him quietly.

Softly and almost lovingly and despite their size, despite their terrifying appearance and despite their monstrous power.

Levin felt no fear, not even a little, because somehow they felt familiar, like a forgotten memory and like a feeling buried deep inside his soul.

Both dragons slowly approached, not like predators, not like beasts, but like children. And suddenly the silver dragon lowered itself beside him.

The golden dragon immediately followed, and then both creatures pressed themselves against him, seeking warmth, seeking comfort, and seeking him.

Levin blinked in surprise. "...Who are you two?"

The silver dragon nudged his shoulder, and the golden dragon immediately pushed its head into his lap, demanding attention. For the first time a tiny and weak laugh escaped Levin.

But a real one.

"You are both very spoiled." The golden dragon purred immediately proudly.

Levin slowly stroked the golden scales, and something inside his chest tightened strangely. "...Why do I feel like I already know you?"

The golden dragon closed its eyes, purring louder, and the silver dragon gently nudged Levin’s stomach.

Then nudged it again...and again. As though trying to remind him of something.

Levin stared at them confused. Then suddenly both dragons looked directly into his eyes, and for one brief moment he saw it.

The silver dragon’s golden eyes, Zeramet’s eyes, and the golden dragon’s blue eyes...his own eyes.

Silence.

And suddenly understanding crashed through him; his hands trembled.

"No..." The silver dragon immediately nuzzled against him, and the golden dragon wrapped its neck around his shoulders gently.

And Levin’s eyes widened. "...My babies?"

Immediately both dragons purred, and the sound echoed across the dreamland, warm, happy, and safe.

And suddenly Levin felt tears forming because somehow he understood they were searching for him, calling for him, and waiting for him.

The dragons continued pressing closer, seeking warmth and the warmth only he could give, but Levin lowered his head, his fingers trembling against their scales.

"...I’m tired." The words came quietly and painfully. "So tired."

The endless desert winds moved softly around them as his voice cracked

"I lost him. I wanted to search for him." A tear slipped down his cheek. "I waited for him, and he’s gone."

The silver dragon immediately nudged away the tear. The golden dragon rested its head upon Levin’s lap, now refusing to move.

Levin laughed weakly and brokenly. "You both don’t understand."

But somehow they did. The silver dragon slowly pressed its forehead against his with warmth, and the golden dragon immediately wrapped a wing around him...warmer.

And suddenly Levin realized. The warmth he had been searching for and the warmth he thought had disappeared forever were still here.

Not from Zeramet...from them.

His children. The tiny lives who had fought to survive and the tiny lives waiting for him to return. And then slowly the dreamland slowly began shaking.

The sun dimmed, the stars blurred, and the dream was ending.

And for the first time since Zeramet vanished, Levin realized something. If he gave up now, If he surrendered, and if he stopped fighting.

These two would be left alone, just as he had been.

Immediately fear gripped his heart.

"No..."

The silver dragon nudged him again, and the golden dragon pressed closer, and then for the first time, they spoke, not with words, not with voices, but with feeling, with instinct, and with love.

Stay...stay with us.

The message echoed through his soul. Levin’s tears finally fell freely and slowly...very slowly...he wrapped his arms around both dragons.

"I’ll stay."

The silver dragon purred, and the golden dragon purred louder. And as the dreamland began dissolving around them—

Levin heard something, a tiny voice, small, soft, and distant.

"...Papa..."

Levin froze, and the dragons looked toward him. Their golden and blue eyes were shining beneath the divided sky.

And the dreamland began crumbling, the desert winds grew stronger, the stars started fading, and the golden dunes turned into dust.

"No." Levin immediately reached toward them. "Wait—"

The silver dragon slowly began dissolving, tiny particles of silver light drifting away, and the golden dragon followed. Its wings are turning into scattered sunlight.

Immediately panic gripped Levin as he staggered forward, and his voice cracked. "No! Wait! Where are you both going?"

The silver dragon looked at him, and the golden dragon looked at him too, and somehow both seemed happy, safe, and waiting.

Immediately Levin ran toward them.

"WAIT!" His hand reached forward desperately, trying to touch them, trying to hold them, and trying not to lose them again, but everything shattered.

DARKNESS.

***

[Back at the Hut — Continuation]

SNIFF.

SNIFF.

SNIFF.

Levin slowly frowned, and a strange sound reached him through the darkness, sniffling. Someone was crying. Slowly his eyelids opened, and the world appeared blurry, soft, and unclear.

The wooden ceiling came into view, as did the smell of herbs, the warmth of blankets, and the faint crackling of firewood.

And then he saw him.

Iru, head lowered, shoulders shaking as he was crying.

Levin blinked slowly; his throat felt dry and his body felt unbearably heavy. "...What...happened?"

Immediately Iru froze. Asha’s ears shot upward, and for several heartbeats neither of them moved. Then suddenly Iru looked up, his eyes widened completely.

"Malika...?"

Silence.

"Malika!"

Immediately he stumbled to his feet. Tears flooding his eyes again as his voice broke. "Malika...! You’re awake!"

Levin blinked in confusion. Asha immediately rushed forward, pressing his head against Levin’s leg, purring loudly and relieved.

Levin slowly looked around, trying to understand and trying to remember. Then his eyes landed on the floor, and there lay Lyresaph.

The silver dragon was sleeping heavily, his breathing slow and exhausted. As though he had fought an invisible battle.

Levin frowned. "What happened to him?"

Iru immediately grabbed a wooden cup as his hands trembled. "Please, drink some water first."

He was already rushing toward the door. "I’ll call Grandmother Hira!"

And just like that he disappeared outside. Levin stared after him, confused, and Asha remained beside him, still purring softly.

Levin slowly patted the tiger’s head. "What happened, Asha?"

The tiger only nudged closer, then suddenly Levin’s eyes moved elsewhere, toward the nearby table, and immediately everything else disappeared.

There they were.

A massive silver egg and beside it a massive golden egg. Both wrapped carefully inside layers of warm silk cloth, ancient markings glowing faintly across their shells. Beautiful, perfect, and alive.

Silence filled the room.

Levin slowly stood, ignoring the weakness, ignoring the pain, and ignoring everything until he reached the table.

Then gently...so very gently...he touched the silver shell, warm and alive. His hand moved toward the golden one, and suddenly a smile appeared.

Not a painful smile, not a broken smile but a real soft and beautiful one. The kind of smile that only appeared when someone finally found a reason to keep living as his fingers trembled against the eggs.

"Welcome to the world...my children."

His eyes became wet immediately; for a moment he simply stood there, staring and memorizing every mark, every color, and every tiny detail.

Because somehow within all this grief, within all this loss, and within all this darkness. Two little lights had arrived, and they belonged to him.

"Malika!"

Immediately the door opened. Iru rushed inside, followed by Grandmother Hira and, behind them, Kael.

All three froze instantly because Levin was standing and Iru hurried forward immediately. "Malika! You shouldn’t be standing!"

Carefully he helped Levin back toward the bed, and Grandmother Hira moved closer, checking him carefully.

"Let me see you, child." Levin nodded obediently, but his eyes never left the eggs, not even once.

Grandmother Hira checked his pulse, then his breathing, and then his temperature. Finally, the old healer smiled. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"He’s well." Relief flooded the room instantly. "We simply need to care for him properly; delivering two royal eggs would exhaust anyone."

Iru immediately nodded, and Kael quietly spoke. "We thought you were gone."

For the first time Levin looked away from the eggs. "What do you mean?"

Iru’s eyes immediately became wet again. "After the second egg...you stopped breathing."

Silence.

Even Levin froze as Iru continued. "Lyresaph started fading too, and yet we waited, but you wouldn’t wake up."

Grandmother Hira sighed. "We were preparing...for your funeral, but now...everything is fine."

Silence filled the room.

Levin looked down toward his children, toward the silver egg, and toward the golden egg, and somehow the words no longer frightened him because he knew who brought him back.

His children.

Slowly a beautiful smile appeared again, gentle, warm, and filled with light. The kind of smile that transformed a person’s entire face, everything he had lost, everything he still mourned, and everything that still hurt.

For one brief moment felt bearable. "Everything...will be fine."

Silence.

Kael froze completely because for the first time since meeting Levin the hollow emptiness inside those eyes was gone.

Not completely.

The grief was still there, the sorrow remained, and the longing remained, but now there was something else: light, hope, and a reason to wake up tomorrow.

Levin never looked at Kael, never noticed his stare; his entire world rested upon that table.

Two eggs, two children, and his two tiny miracles.

Then softly, without taking his eyes off them, he spoke. "Iru."

"Yes, Malika?"

Levin’s smile deepened faintly. "Bring them to me."

Immediately Iru smiled too, the first in many days. "Yes, Malika."

And for the first time since escaping Zahryssar, the little hut no longer felt like a place of grief. It felt like a home.